Senior Service Manager Review

The role involves direct line management of 6 managers who oversee 150 staff and look after 26 people we support. I also directly line manage 3 services with a team of 15 staff who support 4 people. I also have several meetings a week with the council, health, social workers and families.

I have evaluated how I manage and the different aspects of management including delegation, different communication styles which I now use to much better effect when completing 1 to 1 and appraisals. I have also learnt more about the legal aspects and the notifications and polies that are put in place by governing bodies and the CQC.

My assessor is really good and patient especially as my IT skills are not the best and all my training has been remote over Zoom. So far I have always completed my assignments on time and I receive great feedback which is very constructive about the work which I have completed.

The course is very organized and I am always given plenty of time to complete my assignments. I never feel overloaded and I can email my assessor at anytime and she will reply very quickly and always with great advice and well explained. I feel that I have plenty of time to complete the whole course well within the timeframe expected.

I have to be very honest here and I don't really receive any support at all from my employer. I have been in my role for about 15 years and so I am very confident that I will be able to complete the whole course with no input from my company.

My training provider has been excellent in providing the correct amount of support which I need. There was 1 question that I was unsure about and my assessor pointed me in the right direction of what the outline answer could be and a couple of websites that I could obtain further information.

I think that at the end of the course I will have a greater knowledge of the current legislation and where to access any new information that may be needed. I also have a great awareness of myself and the way that I communicate with different people at different levels.

Yes through my training I decided to attend the Cornwall PBS CIGs group to improve my networking and to find out what other organisations did with certain behaviours and how they manage to comply with the new legislation that has recently come out about physical restraints and the deprivation of liberties safeguarding changes.

Yes

I have worked for United Response for 13 years and the way that the people we support are looked after is second to none. The support that is given to staff when anything goes wrong is brilliant with counselling, physio and OH referrals always available when needed. I have worked for other care companies and this one really is a charity.

One of my tips would be don't listen to others but find out for yourself, which really contradicts itself. Just saying keep an open mind when going into a role as a support working listen and learn but also question why people are doing it that way, or why do that give that response, there is usually a reason and if not maybe speak to a manger.